Conveyer.



No. 788,845. y PATENTTD MAY z, 1905. T. M. PETERS L H. H. HUNGTRTORD.

GONVEYER. APPLIGATION FILED NOV-11. 1903.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PATENTED MAY 2, 1905. F. M. PETERS & H. H. HUNGERFORD.

HEBT 2.

GONVEYER.

APPLICATION FILED Nov.11.19oa.

Illlllll .M O O E A PATENTFED MAY 2, 1905. P. M. PETERS da H. H. HUNGERFOISD.A

GONVEYER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.1l, 1903.

4 SHEETBf-SEBET 3.

No. 788,845. Y PATENTED MAY 2,1905. P. M. METERS @L H. H. HUNGERFORD CONVEYEB..

APPLIOATION EILBD N0\ 7.11. 1903.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

....lllnrnnlll Patented May 2, 1905.

NITED STATES. PATENT OFFICE.,

FRANK M. PETERS AND HENRY H. HUNGERFORD, OE CHICAGO, ILLI- NOIS; SAID HUNGERFORD ASSIG-NOR TO SAID PE"ERS.

CONVEYER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 788,845, dated May 2, 1905.

l Application led November 11,1903. Serial No. 180,731.

tain new and useful Improvements in Conveyers, of which the following is a specilication.

Our invention relates generally to conveying mechanism o'f the endless-belt type, and

has reference more particularly to a novel mechanism for conveying packages or parcels of uniform size and shape to a point at which they are to be packed for shipment.

The present improvement has been designed more especially for use in bakeries and similar establishments wherein certain prepared food products are put up in pasteboard cartons, wrapped and sealed, and in such condition distributed to the trade.

Our-presentinvention supplies,amongother desirable objects, two needs which practical experience has developed in connection with the packaging' and labeling of goods. One of these needs has found expression in the desirability of delivering the wrapped and labeled packages to some room or point above or below or at a distance from the place where the same are put up, while another need has been the provision of some means for causing the end labels to adhere more perfectly to the ends of the packages, it having been found that the mere impressingl of a pasted label upon the end of a package without the continuation of the pressure for a sufficient length of time to cause the same to permanently adhere sometimes results in the partial or entire falling off of the label from the package. Hence arises the desirability of some means for not only conveying the packages to the required point of packing' or storage, but also some means to insure the more perfect adhesion lof the labels to the pack ages and the flattening' of the label thereon, and in our present invention we have com bined the means employed for these purposes, causing them to operate simultaneously, and thus avoid loss of time.

Our invention, therefore, in its essential features resides in a conveying mechanism embracing means for carrying the pac rages and at the same time where the packages are.

I the packages are given up by the conveyer.

In the accompanying' drawings, which illustrate our invention, Figure 1 is a side elevational view of that portion of our improved conveyer which is above the floor on which. the packages are received by it. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view on the line 2 2 of Eig. l of the upper horizontal run of the conveyer and its support. Eig. 3 is a top plan View of the parts shown in Fig. l. Fig. 4 is a side elevational View of the lower end of the vertical leg of the conveyer, showing' also an auxiliary endless apron adapted to receive the packages from the main conveyer. Fig. 5 is a top plan View of the parts shown in Eig. I with the lower end of the conve-yer shown in cross-section on the line 5 5 of the same ligure. Eig. 6 is a detail top plan view, enlarged, of a section of the main conveyerchain, more particularly illustrating the form and nature of the hinged end wings of the several links. Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional View, enlarged, on the line 7 7 of Fig. l looking in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 8 is a crosssectional view on the line 8 8 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrow. Eig. 9 is a vertical cross-sectional view through a horizontal spacing-yoke connecting and embracing the two vertical legs of the conveyer on the line 9 9 of Fig. 10. Eig. LlO is a top plan View of the yoke shown in Fig. 9, the vertical parts passing therethroughappearing in horizontal section; and Fig. l1 is an end View of a wrapped package designed toy be transported by the conveyer and showing applied thereto an end seal or label, for securing the permanent adhesion of whichlatter to the package our invention is especially adapted.

Referring to the drawings, 23 designates a table or platform 'from which the packages are fed forward to the conveyer, either manually or mechanically. In a pair of brackets depending from the rear end of this table is journaled a shaft 24, fast on one overhanging end of which is a gear 25. On the shaft 24, just inside the bracket-arms, are mounted a pair of star-wheels 26, the points of which have concave transverse seats 26, adapted to engage the transverse pins of the conveyerchainhereinafter described and actuate the same. Also secured to the rear end of the table 23 or to other suitable supports are a pair of horizontally-extending bars 27, the opposite ends of which are secured to the npper ends of a pair of vertical side frame members 28, between which operate the vertical sections of the conveyer', said side frames being located over and on either side of an aperture in the floor 29, through which the vertical portion of the conveyer passes. The parallel bars 27 are spaced apart a distance ,suliicient to accommodate the conveyer-chain and the guiding and cooperating devices therefor and are connected at intervals by transverse bridge-pieces 30, upon and across which latter are carried a pair of parallel strips 31, constituting a track to support the upper horizontal section of the conveyer between the point at which it receives the packages at the machine and the point at which it joins the descending vertical section. In and between the upper ends of the side frames 28 is carried a shaft 32, on which are mounted a pair of rotatable star-wheels 33, indentical with the star-wheels 26. side frames 28, somewhat below and inwardly of the shaft 32, is also mounted in bearings 34, which are vertically adjustable by setscrews 35, a transverse shaft 36.l on which is carried a hexagonal roller 37 the flat faces of which are of a size to engage and fit the flat faces of the links of the return-section of the conveyer, as more particularlyhereinafter described.

Extending beneath the floor 29 and in vertical alinement with the upright members of the side frames 28 are a series of guide-standards 38, that pair of standards underlying each of the side frames uniting at their lower ends in a semicircular portion 39, as shown in Fig. 4, which latter, as shown in Fig. 5, is recessed or slightly offset on its inner face outwardly and laterally of the conveyer, as shown at 40, for a purpose hereinafter explained. Directly beneath and on either side of the connected lower ends of the standards 38 are a pair of vertical A-frarnes 41, in the upper ends of which is journaled a shaft 42, having on its overhanging end a gear 43 and inside the A-frames a pair of star-wheels 44, identical with the star-wheels 26 and 33.

On the supporting mechanism thus far described is mounted to operate the endless conveyer, which comprises the following elements: 45 designates each of a series of fiat rectangular plates corresponding' in dimensions substantially to one of the longitudinal sides of the package 22, Fig. 11, designed to In and between theV be carried thereby. From each longitudinal edge of these plates, at or near the ends thereof, project apertured lugs or ears 46, designed to receive pivot-pins 47. To each end of the plates 45 is hinged a shorter plate 48 in the nature of a wing which is capable of folding outwardly into the plane of the plate 45 or of assuminga position in a plane at right angles thereto, as clearly shown in Figs. l and 3. The outer margins of these end plates or wings 48 have projecting therefrom fingers or lugs 49, for a purpose hereinafter explained, and similar lugs 50 project from their outer faces to engage longitudinal guides hereinafter described. The plates 45 also have formed on one longitudinal margin thereof low ribs or flights 51, the object of which will be made apparent in connection with the description of the operation.

In order to properly actuate the end wings 48 in a manner to seize and clamp the packages, as well as to effect their release at the proper time and at the proper points of the conveyers travel, we have provided certain longitudinal guides, as follows: 52 designates each of a pair of thin stripslor bars disposed longitudinally of and parallel with the line of travel of the upper horizontal section and the two vertical sections of the conveyer, these strips being arranged one on either side of the conveyer-chain and herein shown as principally supported by brackets 53, Fig. 2, mounted on the bridge pieces 30. f These guide-strips are so disposed as to lie throughout the greater extent of the conveyer with their wing-engaging faces in vertical planes; but a short distance outwardly from the receiving-point of the conveyer (which coincides with the discharge-point of the table) they are bent downwardly and outwardly, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, to lie with their wing-engaging faces in a horizontal plane substantially coinciding with the horizontal plane of the linkplates 45, such outwardly and downwardly turned parts of the guides being designated by 52a the drawings. The inner ends of the attened portions 52a of these guides are carried around and behind the shaft 24 beneath the discharge end of the table 23, their ends being bent downwardly and curved substantially on the arc of a circle struck from the axis of the shaft 24 as a center, these curved ends of the guides being designated by 52h, Fig. 8. At the opposite ends of their horizontal portions the guide-strips 52 are bent downwardly around the outer elbow of the conveyer and joined to the upper ends ofthe vertical guides 38, said guides 52 and 38 constituting, in effect, uninterrupted continuations each of the other. The object of the guide-strips 52 and their vertical extensions represented by the guides 38, already described, is to engage the outer sid es of the foldable wings of the conveyer and, as already stated, to cause said wings to clamp and release the packages at the proper times IIO descent.

and points. At the points where the return section of the conveyer rounds the drum 37 and the star-wheels 26 it is essential to provide auxiliary guides to effect such an actuation of the wings as will permit the conveyer to make the required `bends or turns without injury to the wings, and these guides are so positioned as to engage and operate upon the endwise-projecting fingers 49 of the wings. Figs. l. 3, and 8 illustrate guides employed for this purpose behind the shaft 24, wherein 54 designates each of a pair of downwardly and inwardly converging horn-shaped cams, the lower and inner ends of which lie in a position to successively engage the lingers 49 on the depending wings of the lower horizontal return-section of the conveyer, the concave upwardly and outwardly divergent edges of these cams being so formed as to eect the grad ual outward swing of the wings from vertical to horizontal position, at the same time delivering the wings to the guiding and supporting action of the downwardly-curved ends 52" of the guide-strip 52. Similar 4cam-guides 54 are arranged adjacent to and on both sides of the drum 37, Figs. l, 3, and 7, to effect the outward and permit the inward swing of the wings around the latter, as more fully hereinafter. described.

In order to properly guide and laterally support the vertical sections of the conveyer below the floor 29, the lateral guides 38 of each section are preferably connected at intervals by transversely-disposed yokes, more particularly shown in Figs. 9 and 10, each of these yokes comprising an oblong collar 55, embracing each pair of guides 38 and the conveyer-sections lying between the same, and an intermediatespacing-bracket 56, tying together the collars 55. These yokes are supported by screw-bolts 57, passing through the opposite ends thereof and entering lillingblocks 58, lying within and suitably'secured to the channel-bars 38.

59 designates setescrews tapped through the collars 55 above the bolts 57 and impinging the iilling-blocks 58, by turning up which the channels 38 may be adjusted to insure the proper clamping of the package by the end wings of the conveyer slidably engaged thereby.

60 designates an additional guide in the nature of a channel-iron arranged vertically Within and through the series of collars surrounding the descending section of the conveyer and disposed centrally opposite the outer faces of the packages, the object of this guide being to prevent any possible falling out of the packages laterally of the conveyer during the This channel-guide also has fillingblocks 61 secured therein opposite the collars and receiving securing and adjusting bolts 62 and 63, respectively tapped through the collars.

F ig. l plainly illustrates the relation of the guide 60 to the packages and its function in maintaining the alinement of the latter.

The conveyer mechanism hereinabove described may be driven by any suitable mechanism, that herein shown comprising a sprocket-chain 64, driven from any convenient source of power, which drives a sprocket 65, fast on a shaft 66, journaled beneath and transversely of the table 23. A pinion 67 on the shaft 66 through an intermediate movement-converting pinion 68 drives the gear 25 on the shaft 24.

The operation may be briefly described as follows: The wrapped and sealed packages having the end labels 21, Fig. ll, applied thereto are advanced in close succession along the table 23, the foremost of which passes from the end of the table directly upon one of the link-plates 45 at that moment emerging from beneath the end of the table, the rib l on the rear margin of the plate engaging the rear vertical side of the package and preventing any back slip of the package on the plate due to the inertia of the former. As the upper section of the conveyer, with the packages thus seated thereon, reced es from the table 23 the end wings 48 are gradually swung up into vertical position by the curvedV portions of the guides 52 in the manner clearly indicated in Figs. 1 and 3, in which position they clamp and lightly press the package endwise, as best illustrated in Fig. 2. In this position the successive packages are carried along the remaining length of the upper horizontal section, around the turn, and down the outer vertical section, the end wings clamping the packages sufficiently tightly to hold them against their gravity effect in traveling down the latter. As the successive packages reach the lower turn of the vertical portion of the conveyer illustrated in Fig. 4 the clampingwings 48 fall back slightly into the recesses in the bearingfaces of the bottom curved portions 39 of the guides, thus releasing the clamping action of the packages and allowing them to drop successively onto an apron-conveyer, (indicated at 69 in Figs. 4 and 5,) whence they are re moved and packed for shipment or otherwise disposed of. During this period of travel the end seals are held pressed against the ends of the packages for a length of time ample to insure the perfect adhesion of the seals Where the latter have been freshly applied and to prevent any tendency of the latter to come ofi' or curl back at the corners or edges. The actual period or interval of time during which each package is thus held may ofcourse be varied within comparatively wide limits by varying the speed at which the conveyer mechanism is operated. After the packages have been discharged the several links of the return-section of the conveyer pass Aupwardly and around the polygonal drum 37 and thence along the lower horizontal section and around `the star-wheels 26 IOC to the point at which they again come into service. In rounding the drum 37 it is of course necessary to again throw the wings outwardly into the planes of the conveyerplates, since otherwise they would interfere and strike each other edgewise. As soon, therefore, as the successive Wings approach the under side of the drum their projecting fingers are engaged by the outwardly and upwardly inclined edges of the cam-guides 54 and the wings are gradually swung into the planes of their respective link plates, the wings being permitted to gradually drop back into their depending vertical position by sliding down the cams on the opposite side of the drum. As the link-plates successively approach the turn at the inner end of the conveyer the projecting pins of their respective wings engage the lowermost points of the guides 54, being swung upwardly and outwardly into the planes of their respective plates in rounding the turn, the backs of the wings engaging the downwardly-curved eX- tremities 52h of the main guides just before leaving the guide-cams 54.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that our invention accomplishes the important object of insuring perfect adhesion of the end seals where the latter have been freshly applied to the packages and that it accomplishes this object not only without any loss of time in handling the goods, but also with the additional advantage of conveying the goods to any desired point of delivery, whether on the same floor or on an upper or lower floor relatively to the point at which the packages are wrapped or labeled or wrapped and labeled. It is evident that numerous changes in respect to details of mechanism might be made within the purview of our invention and without sacrificing any of the results or advantages attained thereby. The invention is therefore to be considered as comprehending not only the mechanism illustrated, but any such moditications or variations thereof as would readily suggest themselves to the mind of the skilled mechanic upon being made acquainted with the invention in the form herein shown and described.

We claiml. A conveyer adapted to receive and carry packages, provided with lateral wings adapted to fold up against the ends of the packages and clamp the same in transit, substantially as described.

2. An endless con veyer composed of a series of links hinged together and adapted to receive and support packages, said links being respectively provided on their ends with hinged wings adapted to fold up against the ends of the packages and clamp the same in transit, substantially as described.

3. An endless conveyer composed of a series of links hinged together and adapted to receive and support packages, said links being respectively provided on their ends with hinged wings, in combination with guides coperating with said wings to cause the latter to clamp the packages endwise during transit, substantially as described.

LL. An endless conveyer composed of a series of hinged links adapted to receive and support packages, said links being respectively provided on their ends with hinged wings, in combination with guides arranged longitudinally of the conveyer and cooperating with said wings to fold the latter from horizontal to vertical positions in which they clamp the packages endwise at the receiving end of the conveyer and permitting an outward movement of the wings suiiciently to release the packages at the discharge end, substantially as described.

5. An endless link conveyer for packages .having continuous horizontal and vertical runs, the links of said conveyer being respectively provided on their ends with hinged wings adapted to clamp the packages endwise, in combination with supporting-drums at the ends and turn of the conveyer, and guides arranged longitudinally of the latter and controlling the clamping and releasing action of the wings upon the packages, substantially as described.

6. An endless link conveyer for packages having continuous horizontal and vertical runs, the links of said conveyer being respectively provided on their outer ends with hinged wings adapted to clamp the packages endwise, in combination with supporting-drums at the ends and turn of the conveyer, guides arranged longitudinally of the latter and slidingly engaged by the backs of said wings to fold the latter upwardly into clamping engagement with the packages, and cam-guides located at the receiving end of the conveyer engaged by the ends of the wings to fold the latter from depending vertical position into horizontal position substantially in the planes of the links, substantially as described.

7. An endless link conveyer for packages having continuous horizontal and vertical runs, the links of said conveyer being respectively provided on their outer ends with hinged wings adapted to clamp the packages endwise, in combination with supporting-drums at the ends and turn of the conveyer, guides arranged longitudinally of the latter and slidingly engaged by the backs of said wings to fold the latter upwardly into clamping engagement with the packages, cam-guides located at the receiving end of the conveyer engaged by the ends of the wings to fold the latter from depending'vertical position into horizontal position substantially in the planes of the links, and other cam-guides located at the turn of Vthe return-section and engaged by the ends of the wings to swing the latter outwardly into wings adapted to clamp the packages endwise,

in combination with supporting-d ruins at the ends and turn of the conveyer, guides arranged longitudinally of the conveyer and controlling the clamping and releasing action of the Wings upon the ends of the packages, and another guide disposed longitudinally of the vertical section of the conveyer and slidingly engaged I5 by the outer vertical sides of the packages to confine the latter against lateral displacement, substantially as described.

YFRANK M. PETERS.

HENRY H. HUNGERFORD.

Witnesses:

SAMUEL N. POND, FREDERICK C. GOODWIN. 

